You’ll Think This Crazy Joe Thuney Story Is Fake. It Is 100% Real
When discussing the NFL and the types of players teams prioritize, intelligence comes up almost as often as athletic ability. Smart players make fewer mistakes. Smart players understand situations, recognize dangers, and know what adjustments to make to avoid disaster or take advantage of opportunities. People always talk about Walter Payton as a physical specimen. They forget he was probably among the smartest players in Chicago Bears history. His teammate, Gary Fencik, went to Yale. Winning teams are often loaded with highly intelligent players. However, here’s a question. Is there such a thing as too smart? Apparently, Joe Thuney encountered that issue when he was coming out of college.
The new Bears left guard went to N.C. State and become a 3rd round pick for the New England Patriots in 2016. This was a considerable shock since many had him as a priority free agent. Why did the Pats feel comfortable taking him so high? They likely sensed Thuney was much smarter than he let on. According to insider Matt Verderame, there was a legitimate fear among his camp that teams would feel he came across as too smart for the NFL.
Yes, really.
Joe Thuney had to show that football was his priority.
That is why teams fear that certain players are too smart for the league. It isn’t that they don’t think those players will succeed. It has to do with a belief that outside opportunities could lure them away from the game. The most prominent example of this is Myron Rolle. Most agree that the former Florida State safety was among the smartest players ever to enter the league. One reason he went in the 6th round, though, was because they sensed his interest in the NFL might be deterred by his desire to become a neurosurgeon. Sure enough, he left for medical school after just three seasons.
Such an outcome undoubtedly influenced the people around Joe Thuney to fudge his Wonderlic test. If he appears as simply smart but not too brilliant, teams wouldn’t get cold feet about drafting him. You can’t say it didn’t work. He went far earlier than anybody projected. The fact that he’s been one of the best guards in the NFL for almost a decade should tell you that football was always his priority.